Books for parents of Prematurely born babies (Preemies)

Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies: Little Thumbs Up!
by Timothy Smith

Compassion and real people
Reviewer: Tom Rady from Detroit, MI

   I thought that the book "Miracle Birth Stories Of Very Premature Babies" by Timothy Smith was a well crafted and welcome addition to the world of medical literature. As I was reading, I felt like I was in the hospital with each set of parents, going through their triumphs and defeats with them.

   One strong aspect of the book is that it is written for the average person, in basic language that we can all understand. The medical information provided is relevant and accurate, but we are not bogged down in medical and hospital terminology. Medical journals and texts are often written in a very dry, academic tone that is hard to get through. Also, as I was reading I also felt that I was learning information about a controversial topic without being preached to.

   We have all heard things about this topic through magazines, television news, newspapers, tabloids, etc. Smith is a veteran newspaper reporter and it shows. Each story is special in their own situation, and the different families are tied together in a nice way through a common cord of compassion, mutual experiences, and hopes for the future. I wish that premature birth parents in hospitals everywhere could receive this book. It is truly inspirational and lets them know they are not alone.

Kangaroo Care : The Best You Can Do to Help Your Preterm Infant
by SUSAN LUDINGTON-HOE

Beyond proven!
Reviewer: C. Spencer (Port Townsend, WA USA)

   I discovered this book in January, 1995, when it was very little known. My son was born 8 weeks premature in a Honolulu, hospital that had never heard of Kangaroo Care. He was transferred to NICU at a military hospital after 11 days so I never did the KC there, but I did pass my book on to my son's neonatologist in hopes that this would be available for future parents/premies. I did KC as often as I was able at the military hospital and my son came off all meds and monitors 3 wks after his early birth. All he had to do was gain weight. He come home a mere 4 weeks after his birth, and 4 weeks before he original due date! I continued to Kangaroo him at home, all day long some days and he gained so fast it was miraculous!
   Two and a half years later I gave birth to a full term daughter but used KC again because, "it couldn't hurt" and we never suffered those backwards hours that newborns have and I bounced back faster after this birth because I was resting more. Kangaroo Care is worth buying, in fact buy two so you will still have one when you pass one on!! :-)

Your Premature Baby and Child: Helpful Answers and Advice for Parents
by Amy E. Tracy (Editor), Dianne I. Maroney, Judy C. Bernbaum (Editor), Jessie Groothuis (Contributor)

Helpful, accessible and indispensable resource!
Reviewer: bwoodwell from Maurertown, VA USA

    Your Premature Baby and Child provides parents of premature children with much-needed information--and, equally important, it does so in a welcoming and accessible way. The language is straightforward, descriptions of medical and other issues are concise and to the point, and sidebars, bullets, checklists, testimony from other preemie parents, and other features make the book inviting for browsing, fact-finding, and more. As a preemie parent myself, I hope doctors and nurses recommend this great resource to everyone confronting the prospect of becoming a Mom or Dad to a premature child. Not only does it help explain the NICU experience, but it devotes considerable attention to providing the information parents need once their children come home.

-- William H. Woodwell, Jr., author, Coming to Term: A Father's Story of Birth, Loss, and Survival (University Press of Mississippi, 2001).

Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies
by Dana Wechsler Linden, Emma Trenti Paroli, Mia Wechsler Doron M.D.

  I can't say enough about this book! What a help it has been for keeping my sanity and getting me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I was admitted to the hospital with premature labor at 20 weeks into my pregnancy. I stayed there for 3 months before delivering our son at the gestational age of 32 weeks, 4 days. Not knowing when I was actually going to deliver, this book explained everything one should expect at all stages of a pre-term delivery, beginning from 26 weeks through 34+ weeks. It covers reasons for premature labor and delivery, surgeries and drugs administered for premature labor, surviving bed rest/hospitalization, delivery, EVERYTHING to expect in a NICU, the differences between pre-term and full-term babies, bringing your preemie home, and their development during the childhood years.

   Although I was not having twins, etc. myself, the book also includes a lot of great information on multiples. After reading and understanding the types of monitors and machinery my baby may have needed at each stage, I felt much better knowing WHY these things were attached to our son when he was born. My husband and I also took a tour of the NICU at our hospital (which I highly recommend!) so that it was much less of a shock when we found ourselves there after delivery. This book was right on the money, and we got to see everything they talked about hands-on. This is an excellent book to help anyone conquer the fears, worries and misconceptions of having a premature infant (and it also comes highly recommended from the nurses and neonatologists of our NICU as well!)

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What to Do When Your Baby Is Premature:
A Parent's Handbook for Coping with High-Risk Pregnancy and Caring for the Preterm Infant
by Joseph A. Garcia-Prats, Sharon Simmons Hornfischer

  This book has been a God-send. Its clear, comprehensive text, helpful illustrations, and authoritative advice (the lead author is a top Houston neonatologist) is just what my husband and I needed when we found out our baby was going to be born prematurely.

  We especially liked all of the stories and testimony from parents, people who have experienced the fear and uncertainty of high-risk pregnancy. Their stories are incredibly reassuring. We needed to know we weren't alone.

  This book is a must-have for any parent whose pregnancy is not going as planned.

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The Preemie Parents' Companion:
The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby in the Hospital, at Home, and Through the First Years
by Susan L. Madden M.S., William Sears MD (Intro), Jane E. Stewart MD

  Our son was born at 26 weeks (3 months early) and was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) until one day past his due date. We were given this book after he'd been there one month. Let me tell you what a life-saver it was! We had been given a "crash course" in the care delivered to a premature infant... very scary stuff. Wires, machines, noise, drugs -- and in the middle of it all this unbelievably tiny human being who is your child. This book took much of the fear away and instead educated us. Preemies don't stop being preemies when they come home! This book gives the technical data in an easy to understand format that is not condescending and also focuses on the emotional as well as physical needs of the baby. Additionally, it gives contacts and information on potential problems, how to spot them early, and how to handle them. There is also a good referral list in the back. I would recommend this book not only to preemie parents, but to anyone in contact with a preemie and their family. PS. As of this writing, our son is one year old and doing great!

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Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies
by Kimberly Powell, Kim Wilson

A Very Powerful Collection of Experiences
Reviewer: Sara S. from Iowa, United States

   I am the "Sara" profiled in the book, and what an honor it was to be selected as one of the many subjects described in this first-hand account by parents of premature babies. My mother gave me the task of typing her manuscript for this book, and I became so emotionally--overwhelmed that I had to stop and go back to it a few days later! Seeing my mother's story through my adult eyes was a whole new way of reading about the experience of prematurity, especially because her story was recalling my own battle. This collection is an important addition to the roster of books about premature babies because it's stories are the stories of parents who have experienced prematurity first-hand. This intimate narrative will doubtless provide comfort and give parents of premature babies the opportunity to relate to the experiences highlighted therein, as well as contribute to more frequent discussion about the subject.

Caring for Your Premature Baby
by Alan Klein

  As the mom of 29 week twins, this book filled in the gaps when the NICU staff didn't have the time (or if I wasn't ready to hear all the details). It allowed us the time to read the details and think of our questions before approaching our nurses. We knew in advance that our twins would be early and we skimmed the book to get a handle of what might be to come. It was frightening but prepared us for what we were to experience and it was realistic (difficult to read in some sections but true to life). This is not a book for those expecting a pre-term infant (or I advise you only to read the chapters aiming at this gestational age). It is aimed at those with quite premature babies. Our boys ran the gamut of what was described here - some were only scares (thankfully) but others crashed into our lives including a diagnoses at 6 months of age of cerebral palsy. This is the realities of prematurity and you need to be prepared that this might happen to your child when making decisions for them.

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